Chicago became the meeting point for the industrial automation community from June 22 to 25 as Automate 2026 brought together manufacturers, technology providers, system integrators and industrial innovators from all over the world. With more than a thousand exhibitors and a packed agenda of technical sessions, the event once again highlighted the technologies and ideas shaping the future of manufacturing.

For Barbara, it was an opportunity not only to showcase technology, but also to take part in an industry-wide conversation around the evolution of industrial automation. And one thing became clear: the industry is moving decisively toward open software-defined automation.

A year ago, most discussions about AI were still about whether it would reach the factory floor. Today, the question is far more practical:

‍How do we deploy AI agents securely, reliably and at scale across industrial operations?

The answer increasingly points in the same direction: open, software-defined architectures.

Software-Defined Automation: from proprietary systems to open platforms

The clearest signal from Automate 2026 is that Software-Defined Automation is accelerating the move away from closed, proprietary systems. Customers are no longer looking for a single vendor to lock them in — they want flexibility, interoperability and the freedom to choose the best technology for each use case, then run it all on a common, software-defined foundation.

Throughout the event, our CTO Isidro Nistal and VP of Sales Javier Rodríguez welcomed visitors to our stand within the Schneider Electric booth, where they demonstrated exactly that. Using Barbara Panel, Soft dPAC and EAE together with Schneider Electric's Soft PLCs, the demonstrations showed how an edge-native platform can deliver the flexibility expected from modern software while preserving the robustness required in operational technology environments — modernizing industrial infrastructure without sacrificing reliability, cybersecurity or operational continuity.

It was exciting to demonstrate our platform in the US alongside Schneider Electric and to see how naturally our approach aligns with where the industry is heading: AI at the edge, Software-Defined Automation, and open industrial platforms.

This openness extended well beyond the booth. Throughout the event we had great conversations not only with Schneider Electric, but also with companies such as Inductive Automation, Velotic Software, Phoenix Contact, Velasea and OnLogic — a reflection of how industrial ecosystems are opening up, with the market increasingly valuing collaboration between complementary technologies over closed ecosystems.

Other signals from the floor

Beyond the central shift toward open, software-defined architectures, several other trends stood out across the week's conversations. AI agents are becoming operational infrastructure: organizations are moving beyond experimentation and looking for production-ready ways to deploy distributed AI at the edge. Physical AI is emerging as the next frontier, with AI increasingly connected to the physical world through robots, vision systems, AMRs and industrial equipment that can perceive, reason and act autonomously. And the operating system is becoming irrelevant — Linux adoption continues to grow, but the real objective isn't choosing Linux; it's abstracting the underlying infrastructure so industrial teams can focus on applications, not IT complexity.

Looking ahead

Events like Automate remind us that innovation is not defined solely by new products or technologies. It is driven by collaboration, by the exchange of experiences, and by a shared commitment to solving the challenges facing modern industry.

We would like to thank Schneider Electric for once again being exceptional hosts and making us feel right at home, and everyone who visited the booth, attended our demonstrations or simply stopped to share their perspective. We leave Chicago with new connections, fresh insights and even greater confidence that Open Software-Defined Automation is becoming an increasingly important part of the industry's future.

Let's keep building the future of industrial automation, together.